alex c. said:
I'm reviving this thread as I just joined and have some lifting questions also. I have read several post talking about the 50lb limit. I'm 5'10, 178. My max bench was 320 and squat was 345. Right now I can press 2 plates total (135) about 25-27 times struggling at the end. Can I assume that I will at least be able to press that for 12-15 reps after surgery. I know its quite higher than the 50, or 70lb limit I've seen here, but I was doing it with a severely leaking valve and a moderately leaking valve. Since I found out the severity of my condition, I have stopped going to the gym. I am wondering if my condition now is worse than it should be after surgery, how could I still do this weight?
Prior to diagnosis and surgery, I had pretty bad SOB while running - and that's it. I never had a single symptom while weightlifting or doing any other intense resistance workouts. You hear the term that you need to "listen to your body" with regards to exercise and activity, but I'm not sure that applies to weightlifting. My body was telling me that things were just fine even as I was most likely doing more and more damage to it. Unfortunately, it seems like there is an extremely fine line between where activity is healthy and where it becomes harmful to a valve patient. Unfortunately (again), nobody really seems to know exactly where that boundary lies. Many Cardios seem to take a more conservative track - and who can blame them? If I was a Cardiologist, I sure wouldn't want to tell someone that it was OK to lift weights, and then later find out that said person ended up needing surgery, whether related to the weights or not.
Those of us who are competitive are automatically going to have a very difficult time with workout boundaries. I've spent my whole life trying to go faster, longer, and generally attempting to push my body beyond its limits. For someone to tell me that I need to replace running a marathon with easy biking or a stair stepper just shows that they don't understand the competitive mindset. There's a feeling that you get when you achieve a Personal Record in any physical activity that is incomparable to anything else.
What's my point? Everyone needs to find their own boundaries. The only consensus that seems to be out there is that no Cardiologist is going to OK power lifting. Most will also give you a HR limit, and some seem to throw out other blanket restrictions (?no marathons? has shown up several times, for example). I've made the personal decision that I'm going to continue distance running and hiking in the mountains whether my Cardiologist approves or not. I will however, abide by weightlifting guidelines ? mainly because it is something I never really had a passion for. It's very possible that continuing to push myself might decrease the life of my repaired valve, but I'm willing to take that risk because of how much those activities are, and always have been, a part of my nature. I can't imagine stopping all strenuous activity on account of my valve because of how negatively it would affect the rest of my life and well-being. I cut WAY down on exercise just prior to surgery because of all of my symptoms. I almost instantly became crabby, touchy, and an altogether unpleasant person to be around because I no longer had a release for all the pent-up stress and frustration in my life. I can?t possibly imagine going through the rest of my life in that state.
Anyways, like I said before, everyone has to make their own decisions about how much they want to push themselves, and also need to be ready to accept the possible consequences. There are MANY things that can put stress on valves ? high salt intake, alcohol consumption, and stress are just a few. The idea is to find your own comfort zone balancing what's "bad for you" and living a life worth living?
Now it's now my turn to step off the soapbox.
